--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She is nine, beloved, as open-faced as…" description: "\"She is nine, beloved, as open-faced as the sky and as self-contained. I have watched her grow. As recently as three or four years ago, she had a young ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/annie-dillard-509_beloved_she-is-nine-beloved-as-open-faced-as-the_816724.jpg" --- # She is nine, beloved, as open-faced as the sky and as… ![“She is nine, beloved, as open-faced as the sky and as self-contained. I have watched her grow. As recently as three or four years ago, she had a young child's perfectly shallow receptiveness; she fitted into the world of time, it fitted into her, as thoughtlessly as sky fits its edges, or a river…” quote by Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/annie-dillard-509_beloved_she-is-nine-beloved-as-open-faced-as-the_816724.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/annie-dillard-509_beloved_she-is-nine-beloved-as-open-faced-as-the_816724.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/annie-dillard-509_beloved_she-is-nine-beloved-as-open-faced-as-the_816724.jpg) > “She is nine, beloved, as open-faced as the sky and as self-contained. I have watched her grow. As recently as three or four years ago, she had a young child's perfectly shallow receptiveness; she fitted into the world of time, it fitted into her, as thoughtlessly as sky fits its edges, or a river its banks. But as she has grown, her smile has widened with a touch of fear and her glance has taken on depth. Now she is aware of some of the losses you incur by being here--the extortionary rent you have to pay as long as you stay.” [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child’s innocent openness fades as she becomes aware of adult burdens like high rent, deepening her perception and introducing fear. **In simple terms:** Growing up adds awareness and fear to innocence. Key Takeaway Support children to retain wonder despite hardships. Themes childhood growth awareness urban life inequality Mood reflective melancholic thoughtful Type literary observational social commentary When to use this quote - housing policy - parental guidance - urban planning Key Concepts socialization economic pressure psychological development Questions to Reflect On - How does environment shape a child's outlook? - What can societies do to protect childhood innocence? A Different Perspective The quote reflects a single perspective and may not capture all children's experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beloved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beloved/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Glances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glances/) [Grown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grown/) [Grown Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grown-smile-329687/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Her smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her-smile/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Nine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nine/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Shallow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Watched Grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watched-grow-329686/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-child/) [Young children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-children/) ## Related quotes > [The young child approaching a new subject or anew problem is like the scientist operating at the edge of his chosen field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-bruner/the-young-child-approaching-a-new-subject-or-anew-problem-is-like-the/) [Jerome Bruner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-bruner/) > [As a young child, I was never a crier. I never cried to get my way, or even when I was in pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/as-a-young-child-i-was-never-a-crier-i-never-cried-to-get-my-way-or/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [The Earth herself is spirit, she is like a young child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drunvalo-melchizedek/the-earth-herself-is-spirit-she-is-like-a-young-child/) [Drunvalo Melchizedek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drunvalo-melchizedek/) > [Soon never comes soon enough to a young child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-carey/soon-never-comes-soon-enough-to-a-young-child/) [Jacqueline Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-carey/) > [With younger children the greatest reward is to be able to pass on to a new stage in each subject. It is a punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/with-younger-children-the-greatest-reward-is-to-be-able-to-pass-on-to/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [As a kid at school, I had a lot of really good teachers and I had a lot of really bad teachers, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hurd-wood/as-a-kid-at-school-i-had-a-lot-of-really-good-teachers-and-i-had-a/) [Rachel Hurd-Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hurd-wood/) > [I had a cat, though. I wanted to name the frogs, because I watched them grow, but there were too many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoshi-tajiri/i-had-a-cat-though-i-wanted-to-name-the-frogs-because-i-watched-them/) [Satoshi Tajiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoshi-tajiri/) > [I would like to thank everyone that watched me grow up on the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bretman-rock/i-would-like-to-thank-everyone-that-watched-me-grow-up-on-the-internet/) [Bretman Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bretman-rock/) > [I'm quite comfortable looking at myself in movies, probably because I've been doing it for so long, since I was a kid. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-m-quite-comfortable-looking-at-myself-in-movies-probably-because-i/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [He watched them grow, until eventually, great forests of words had risen throughout Germany… It was a nation of farmed thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/he-watched-them-grow-until-eventually-great-forests-of-words-had/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [When Callas carried a grudge, she planted it, nursed it, fostered it, watered it and watched it grow to sequoia size.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-c-schonberg/when-callas-carried-a-grudge-she-planted-it-nursed-it-fostered-it/) [Harold C. Schonberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-c-schonberg/) > [I feel like my fans have watched me grow up in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-morgan/i-feel-like-my-fans-have-watched-me-grow-up-in-general/) [Liv Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-morgan/) > [I feel like Nashville has watched me grow up in front of them, which is cool, but it kind of sucks at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raelynn/i-feel-like-nashville-has-watched-me-grow-up-in-front-of-them-which/) [RaeLynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raelynn/) > [“I went off to play the hero myself, once. I’d do it again, if I had to.” His smile turned wistful. “I’d do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-went-off-to-play-the-hero-myself-once-i-d-do-it-again-if-i-had-to/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [Young children have no sense of wonder. They bewilder well, but few things surprise them. All of it is new to young children, after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/young-children-have-no-sense-of-wonder-they-bewilder-well-but-few/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## More by Annie Dillard > [Like everyone in his right mind, I feared Santa Claus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/like-everyone-in-his-right-mind-i-feared-santa-claus/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“This is a spendthrift economy; though nothing is lost, all is spent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/this-is-a-spendthrift-economy-though-nothing-is-lost-all-is-spent/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [The creatures I seek do not want to be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-creatures-i-seek-do-not-want-to-be-seen/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [Nothing moves a woman so deeply as the boyhood of the man she loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/nothing-moves-a-woman-so-deeply-as-the-boyhood-of-the-man-she-loves/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [We live in all we seek. The hidden shows up in too-plain sight. It lives captive on the face of the obvious - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/we-live-in-all-we-seek-the-hidden-shows-up-in-too-plain-sight-it/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“...The mockingbird took a single step into the air and dropped. His wings were still folded against his sides as though he were singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-mockingbird-took-a-single-step-into-the-air-and-dropped-his-wings/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“Father had stretched out his long legs and was tilting back in his chair. Mother sat with her knees crossed, in blue slacks, smoking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/father-had-stretched-out-his-long-legs-and-was-tilting-back-in-his/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I am a frayed and nibbled survivor in a fallen world, and I am getting along. I am aging and eaten and have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-am-a-frayed-and-nibbled-survivor-in-a-fallen-world-and-i-am-getting/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It should surprise no one that the life of the writer - such as it is - is colorless to the point of sensory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-should-surprise-no-one-that-the-life-of-the-writer-such-as-it-is/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-is-madness-to-wear-ladies-straw-hats-and-velvet-hats-to-church-we/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [The sense impressions of one-celled animals are not edited for the brain. This is philosophically interesting in a rather mournful way, since it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-sense-impressions-of-one-celled-animals-are-not-edited-for-the/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“What can we make of the inexpressible joy of children? It is a kind of gratitude, I think—the gratitude of the ten-year-old who wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/what-can-we-make-of-the-inexpressible-joy-of-children-it-is-a-kind-of/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“If we were to judge nature by its common sense or likelihood, we wouldn't believe the world existed. In nature, improbabilities are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/if-we-were-to-judge-nature-by-its-common-sense-or-likelihood-we/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [For writing a first draft requires from the writer a peculiar internal state which ordinary life does not induce. ... how to set yourself spinning?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/for-writing-a-first-draft-requires-from-the-writer-a-peculiar/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I am a fugitive and a vagabond, a sojourner seeking signs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-am-a-fugitive-and-a-vagabond-a-sojourner-seeking-signs/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) [Explore all 509 Annie Dillard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## More Beloved quotes > [My Chosen Daughter, No one can define you without your permission. I want you to be so secure in who you are in Me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/god/my-chosen-daughter-no-one-can-define-you-without-your-permission-i/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/god/) > [Why should the Marquis de Cussy wage war on soup? I cannot understand a dinner without it. I hold soup to be the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoine-careme/why-should-the-marquis-de-cussy-wage-war-on-soup-i-cannot-understand/) [Marie-Antoine Careme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoine-careme/) > [Beloved, let your eyes half close, and your heart beat Over my heart, and your hair fall over my breast, Drowning love's lonely hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/beloved-let-your-eyes-half-close-and-your-heart-beat-over-my-heart/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [I made you, dear, and all I make is perfect. Please come close, for I desire you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/i-made-you-dear-and-all-i-make-is-perfect-please-come-close-for-i/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [A lover asked his beloved, Do you love yourself more than you love me? Beloved replied, I have died to myself and I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lover-asked-his-beloved-do-you-love-yourself-more-than-you-love-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. "For He giveth His beloved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-who-believes-in-god-is-not-careful-for-the-morrow-but-labors/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [My beloved like a jewel on my crown, In my vast and blue sky you are like a full-moon. I wish to stay entrapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranjan-dey/my-beloved-like-a-jewel-on-my-crown-in-my-vast-and-blue-sky-you-are/) [Ranjan Dey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranjan-dey/) > [Love is doing what will enthrall the beloved with the greatest and longest joy. What will enthrall the beloved this way is the glory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/love-is-doing-what-will-enthrall-the-beloved-with-the-greatest-and/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Rest you well, beloved Jesus, Caesar’s Lord and Israel’s King, In the brooding of the Spirit, in the darkness of the spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/rest-you-well-beloved-jesus-caesar-s-lord-and-israel-s-king-in-the/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [My beloved friend - one of the most unique and charming personalities of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/my-beloved-friend-one-of-the-most-unique-and-charming-personalities/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [A lover goes toward his beloved as enthusiastically as a schoolboy leaving his books, but when he leaves his girlfriend, he feels as miserable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-lover-goes-toward-his-beloved-as-enthusiastically-as-a-schoolboy/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I lost my dad when I was younger, and I know what its like to lose a beloved parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/i-lost-my-dad-when-i-was-younger-and-i-know-what-its-like-to-lose-a/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [My beloved dog defied treatment from the best and most expensive veterinarians, holistic practitioners, trainers, and animal communicators. He was simply beyond my ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-katz/my-beloved-dog-defied-treatment-from-the-best-and-most-expensive/) [Jon Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-katz/) > [Perhaps if only once you did enjoy The thousandth part of all the happiness A heart beloved enjoys, returning love, Repentant, you would surely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torquato-tasso/perhaps-if-only-once-you-did-enjoy-the-thousandth-part-of-all-the/) [Torquato Tasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torquato-tasso/) > [Wicked sons do not have the Holy Ghost in the same way as do beloved sons, and yet they do have Baptism. So, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/wicked-sons-do-not-have-the-holy-ghost-in-the-same-way-as-do-beloved/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) [Browse all 1,440 Beloved quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beloved/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "She is nine, beloved, as open-faced as the sky and as self-contained. I have watched her grow. As recently as three or four years ago, she had a young child's perfectly shallow receptiveness; she fitted into the world of time, it fitted into her, as thoughtlessly as sky fits its edges, or a river its banks. But as she has grown, her smile has widened with a touch of fear and her glance has taken on depth. 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